draft dodger

noun

1. a person who evades or attempts to evade compulsory military service.

draft dodger

noun

1. one who evades compulsory military service

draft dodger

1. Someone who illegally evades the draft , as opposed to a conscientious objector , who is granted official, legal exemption from military duty. In active protest against United States involvement in the Vietnam War , many Americans publicly burned draft registration cards, risking imprisonment; others fled to other countries, such as Canada .

Word History and Origins

Origin of draft dodger¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Where writers compared Ali to an "unwashed punk" draft dodger, Lipsyte saw a renegade and comic genius.

From The Daily Beast

Eugenia was a woman who somehow managed to stand from under life, anyhow, had been the most successful draft-dodger he knew.

From Project Gutenberg

The mental draft dodger went to jail just as much as the physical draft dodger.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• absentee